


What's Next?

by lasairfhiona



Category: West Wing
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-19
Updated: 2012-09-19
Packaged: 2017-11-14 15:11:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 691
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/516690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lasairfhiona/pseuds/lasairfhiona
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>writers_choice topic: Shower and/or Quote: "Children don't always want to be the hero.  Sometimes they want to be the hero's best friend."</p>
            </blockquote>





	What's Next?

Leo sat on the edge of the bed, his blue velour robe cinched tightly around his waist. Today was the first day they had let him take a shower instead of the sponge baths they had been subjecting him to since his surgery. The hot water had felt so good pounding down on his body. He'd just stood there and let it ease all the aches and pains from the incisions and his lack of activity until he wasn't sure if his legs would hold him upright any longer. Loath to leave his moment of heaven in the steamy room, he finally decided he'd better rather than be forced to call for help because he'd over extended himself.

He hated the fact his shower tired him out. He hated that his energy expended so fast doing the simplest of things. He knew he should lie down again, but he'd already spent so much time in bed that just sitting with his feet dangling over the side was a novelty. Of course at this point doing anything other than lying in bed counting the birds that flew past his window and sleeping was a novelty. He wasn't used to being idle. For the first time since he'd been old enough to go to work he had nothing to do. Absolutely nothing. For the first time in he couldn't remember how many years Margaret wouldn't be walking through the door with something for him to sign or to remind him of a meeting he was about to be late for. Nor would Jed be coming through the door to talk to him or seek his advice.

His advice. Jed seeking his advice. That was a joke. He'd tried to give his advice over the last few weeks and it had been ignored or contested at every turn until he found himself being shut out. He still didn't know if he'd actually resigned or if he'd been fired. Those moments were foggy in his memory. The several times Jed had been to see him, they hadn't talk about what had happened and he didn't figure they ever would. It was how they operated. How they always operated and probably always would. Slowly but surely things would get back to normal between them and only in times of soul searching would he wonder what had happened that day.

His life had changed so drastically since that day. No longer would he be Chief of Staff. No longer would he stand by Jed's side. That thought made him remember an article from one of the magazine that had passed through his room left by either his guests or the ever-helpful candy stripers. It was something about Actors and their roles but a line stuck in his head. "Children don't always want to be the hero. Sometimes they want to be the hero's best friend". The hero's best friend. That was what had stuck. He certainly knew he wasn't the hero. Nor had he ever aspired to be the hero. But Jed was another matter. Jed was the hero. He was the type of man others looked up to and aspired to be. He'd always been content to stand by Jed's side. However, he wouldn't be standing by Jed's side now. That would be CJ's place now. He didn't begrudge her the spot because he'd been the one to chose her, it didn't mean, however, that it wasn't a hard pill to swallow. But as Abbey had pointed out his life was on the line.

Jenny had told him before they divorced that one-day Jed and this job would kill him. He'd told her over and over again that she was wrong. That he could handle the stress and the workload. Now, as he looked at the modest bouquet she'd sent, he hated to admit how right she'd almost been. This job had almost killed him but thanks to the Secret Service he'd dodged that bullet. Now he had to change his life but he had no idea where to begin. How did he change fifty years of being a workaholic? What did he do with himself?


End file.
